Haunted History of Old San Antonio by Lauren M. Swartz

Author:Lauren M. Swartz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.
Published: 2013-09-08T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

SAN ANTONIO VICE

During the days of the Old Wild West and after the fall of the Alamo, San Antonio surprisingly became a popular tourist destination. Before the river walk existed or the many tourist shops in the area that we have today, San Antonio still had one main draw: the Alamo. People loved to come and see the old fort where many men lost their lives and defended their freedom. But the Alamo was not the only popular destination in San Antonio in the late 1800s; there was one sinister spot that drew thousands of men each year. It is what almost all men came for during those days: to visit the most vice-filled part of the city, the famous red-light district.

Some actually believe the term “red-light district” was coined in San Antonio from the early days of the railroads. Areas of prostitution typically formed near the tracks for workers of the railroad to more easily patronize. Most carried with them signaling lamps (fitted with a red or a green lens) to the brothel. As they would go into the establishment, the signaling lamp would be placed outside the brothel to signal to others that the prostitute was occupied or to signal to other railroad workers where their co-workers were. Red lenses of course caused red lights, hence the phrase.

Although beginning much earlier, San Antonio’s red-light district was officially established in 1889 by the city council to contain and regulate the vice. The city officials were said to “not officially condone the activities but rather unofficially regulate them.” To sound more appealing and gentleman-like, the red-light district took up the official name “the Sporting District.” The Sporting District became the designated area for brothels, gambling parlors, saloons, dancehalls and other similar vice-oriented businesses. Instantly, the area was a big hit and obtained fame from all over.

With San Antonio sitting in the middle of the Chisholm Trail, ranchers and cattle herders would always make their way to the city as frequent visitors. Most of the men of those days spent long months on the road sitting on top of a horse working hours without any fun. Most of them had only a few thoughts in mind when they came to nearby cities: money, booze and, of course, women. San Antonio, having many vice-filled establishments, became the place to stop and release such energy before continuing on with the cattle drive. Even some of the most famous outlaws and lawmen during their time would wind up here as well, all coming together with the same purpose in mind: to relax and have an enjoyable time.

Many years passed by, and the Sporting District still continued to thrive in the city. With many brothels and saloons, by the early 1900s, the Sporting District was one of the largest in the country—third largest, to be precise, and the largest in Texas. These were known as the glory days, and the beer, whiskey, champagne and money flowed freely. The red-light district was an extremely lucrative area.

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